The new math -- it adds up to all Yakima high schools having same textbooks

They're on the same page now, the same page of the same new and -- according to students -- heavy algebra I textbook.

But that's not all. They also have online access to additional exercises, practice tests and video tutorials.

Teachers are pretty excited about that. Students are, too. Well, mostly.

"It's so shiny," 14-year-old Eisenhower High School freshman Emily Mort said, shortly after receiving her copy of the 1,000-plus-page book during her fifth-period math class Monday. "It's like more detailed, and there's a lot more pages, a lot more problems. It looks like a lot more work, actually."

It's not quite a mathematical miracle. But it is the first time in awhile -- about five years -- that students at Eisenhower and Davis high schools as well as Stanton Academy, the Yakima School District's alternative high school, are sharing the same math curriculum.

According to district officials, the new textbooks -- plus the variety of online resources and other teaching materials that come with them -- will better prepare students for meeting the state's math standards, passing other standardized and placement exams, and succeeding in math in general.

"We're in new territory for the Yakima School District and its math departments collectively," said Ryan Froula, chairman of the math department at Ike and part of a committee of faculty and district staff that has been evaluating different math curricula for about a year now.

"This was by far the most extensive and comprehensive program," he said. "It's going to enhance student performance in the classroom."

Students in algebra I at Ike, Davis and Stanton were slated to start the first day of the new trimester Monday with new math books, published by Holt and recommended by the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

And they aren't the only students getting new math books. High-schoolers in pre-algebra, algebra II and geometry are set to receive new textbooks in the fall. So are eighth-graders in algebra 1 districtwide.

In all -- according to Cece Mahre, associate superintendent for teaching and learning, and Mary Masten, director of secondary education -- the district purchased about 5,200 new math books for about $369,000.

Unanimously approved by the school board in October, the new books are expected to last "right around seven years," according to Mahre. That's a standard shelf life, she said, adding she's excited about the new curriculum.

One reason is that Holt mixes technology with the textbooks. There's a whole slew of educational materials that come along with the cost, including a CD-ROM for teachers and online components for teachers, students and their parents. Lessons are also available in English and Spanish.

"This generates more equitable opportunities for all students," Froula said.

It also provides immediate feedback. Supplemental materials associated with the books are interactive and Internet accessible.

For example, Froula said, "Kids can take a check-up assessment on the computer, click on it, and be scored and know right away whether they were successful or not successful."

And that's exciting to Ike math teacher Kristen Lombardi.

"It's not just the textbooks; it's everything," she said. "There's a lot of resources for both the teachers and the students."

The supplemental materials should help students keep up, especially if they miss school. "They can go online and see what they missed and get extra practice," Lombardi said.

And the same goes for teachers. "If I'm gone for a day and I have a sub, all they have to do is push play," Froula said, highlighting the video tutorial component. "You don't miss a day of instruction."

Plus, classes at the three high schools will keep the same pace, Froula said. So students that transfer between Ike, Davis or Stanton should be able to pick up where they leave off.

"The use of those supplemental materials should really help," Yakima school board member Walt Ranta said. "Students learn in different ways, and you need different approaches to reach the various students at their level to be able to move them forward."

Teachers have already received training on the new curriculum. Another session is set for spring, when two shorter tests -- the Measurements of Student Progress for grades 3 through 8 and the High School Proficiency Exam -- are slated to replace the 12-year-old Washington Assessment of Student Learning, or WASL.

The 2008-09 school year was the last year for the exam, which grew out of a 1993 law mandating higher learning standards. It has served as the state's primary assessment since 1997. New state math standards are set to be assessed in 2011.

But that doesn't give schools enough time to align teaching tools, according to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn, who's proposing a continuation of the current math requirement through 2014.

"I think we might be on the front side of this," Froula said. "We're not the first. But we're moving toward the front."

Still, math scores among 10th-graders in Yakima -- as well as around the state -- took a hit during the last round of testing. The latest WASL scores, released in August, showed 10th-grade math passage rates dropped from 49.6 percent to 45.2 percent statewide.

In the Yakima School District -- Central Washington's largest, with more than 14,500 students -- 10th-grade math scores dropped from 25.9 percent to 23.4 percent.

"We really want to see our kids successful and hitting benchmarks," said Zach Rau, chairman of the math department at Davis.

One of the things he likes about the new math curriculum: "Every lesson has a parent piece," he said.

It is hoped, Rau and Froula agreed, that will make it easier for parents to help their children with their math homework.

"Kids can help themselves. Parents can help their kids. There's instant feedback," Froula said. "That's one of the most important things for students."

Yakima students in kindergarten through middle school already share a common curriculum.

Yakima School of the Arts uses an applied math curriculum. Yakima Online! uses its own Internet-based math program. And the International Baccalaureate program at Davis has its own specialized books.

But the majority of high-schoolers in the Yakima School District will be on the same page -- at least for math -- come fall.

Monday, Lombardi called students one-by-one to her desk in the back of room 118, checking their names off a list and handing them their new algebra I books.

"It's big," said Dyllan Rowden, a 14-year-old freshman. "It's most likely going to be heavy."

Flipping through his copy for the first time, he said, "It's better than the last one. The last ones were torn and looked like they were going to fall apart."

The old books also had writing on the pages. And that's missing now.

"It has a downfall," Rowden said of his new book. "The last book had some answers in it."

* Adriana Janovich can be reached at 509-577-7653 or ajanovich@yakimaherald.com.